Chemical Resistant Composite Support Pad Mold Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing support structures for tanks, such as wood beams and coated polystyrene foam, degrade in the tank environment and suffer from defects due to sprayed-on coatings, limiting their effectiveness and durability.
Innovation Solution
The Chemical Resistant Composite Support Pad is manufactured using a top and bottom mold to form a solid-coated polyurethane foam core, allowing for various shapes and sizes, including segmented designs for easy transport and assembly, with a process that ensures a defect-free solid coating and enhanced durability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If sprayed-on coating is used on foam core, then coating application is simple, but defects form in the solid surface
Solution Approach 1:
The mold cavity is pre-coated with a release agent before inserting the foam core, ensuring the solid coating is already in place to receive the foam material. This preliminary action prevents defects by establishing a controlled coating surface before the foaming process begins.
Solution Approach 2:
A release agent serves as an intermediary substance between the mold cavity and the solid coating material. This intermediary layer allows the solid coating to be properly formed and released from the mold without defects, resolving the conflict between easy application and surface quality.
2Reliability
If solid coating completely envelops foam core, then chemical resistance and durability improve, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The coating application and foam core formation processes are merged into a single integrated manufacturing step. The solid coating is applied to the mold cavity, then foam material is injected and expands to form the core, combining two operations into one efficient process that achieves complete envelopment without excessive complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The foam material itself performs the service of forming the core structure within the pre-applied solid coating. The expanding foam automatically conforms to the coating and creates the desired support pad geometry, eliminating the need for separate core formation and coating assembly steps.
3Strength
If support pads are manufactured in large geometries, then tank support capability improves, but transport difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
Large support pads are divided into multiple smaller segments or sections that can be easily transported and handled. These segments are designed to assemble together on-site to form the complete large-geometry support structure, maintaining tank support capability while solving transport difficulties.
Solution Approach 2:
The support pad design transitions from a single large three-dimensional structure to multiple smaller modules that can be stacked or arranged in different configurations. This dimensional reorganization allows compact transport while maintaining the structural integrity and support capability when assembled.
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments of the mold for making the Chemical Resistant Composite Support Pad are comprised of a top and bottom molds where the top mold is comprised of a mold lip, a pneumatic ejection port, a lid aperture, a magnetic cover for the pneumatic ejection port, and a lid. The method of making a chemical resistant composite support pad comprises the steps of spraying a coating of polymer agent into the top mold and the bottom mold. A controlled run of an agent is sprayed into the joined top and bottom molds along the joint of the top mold and the bottom mold. Polymeric foam is injected through the lid aperture, the lid is replaced, and the foam is allowed to cure. The molds are separated, and compressed air is used to eject the support pad out of the mold. Any irregularities are repaired by spraying the coating of polymer agent.